The UC Davis football season wrap-up hit the streets yesterday afternoon, and can be found over at the Mothership for the next week. The upshot of everything is there's a lot of work to do. That not really a surprise to anyone who watched this year's five-win campaign. Anyway, here are some extras that didn't make the story for space reasons.
Biggs on the streak: “When you’re involved in a streak, it’s meaningful and important. It’s one of those unspoken goals that you’re always working toward,” Biggs said. “It’s something I’m proud to have been a part of. It’s remarkable that it went on as long as it did. There’s a sense of disappointment, but I’m not depressed at all, as long as I know that everyone tried hard and did their best to keep it going.”
Biggs on grooming another quarterback: “I’m not worried about quarterback,” Biggs said. “We know we can teach them. They have the talent and they’re motivated and they’re passionate. Everyone thinks it’s the Greg Denham era, well it’s not the Greg Denham era. To be honest with you, Sean Maraz, the freshman, has tremendous potential. He and Greg and Danny Alfaro will be in the mix to some degree. I’m not worried about it. I think they’re all good players and they don’t have to carry the whole load. We’ll get them to a point where they’ll make good decisions. I’m not worried about it. We’ve had success with sophomores coming in here and being very successful.”
Biggs on the special teams disappointment: “Athletically, we should have been a little bit better at special teams,” Biggs said. “We put so much time into special teams, but I’m not sure we’re practicing the way we should. We weren’t as good technique-wise as we should have been.”
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Football 2008
Our 2007 football season wrap-up will hit the streets soon. But I wanted to let everyone that the 2008 schedule is almost set. Deals have been reached in principle with all 12 opponents, but contracts are still going back and forth between campuses. I can give you the opponents for next year (in no particular order), though not yet the dates.
Home: North Dakota, Southern Utah, Sacramento State, Iona, Northern Colorado, Portland State
Away: San Jose State, Montana, Central Arkansas (which may be somewhere in Arkansas that isn't Conway), Northeastern, San Diego, Cal Poly
Home: North Dakota, Southern Utah, Sacramento State, Iona, Northern Colorado, Portland State
Away: San Jose State, Montana, Central Arkansas (which may be somewhere in Arkansas that isn't Conway), Northeastern, San Diego, Cal Poly
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Cross country video
You might have read about Davis High School senior Laurynne Chetelat's Division I state title in cross country.
Here's some video and more pictures from the CIF State Cross Country Championships at the Woodward Park course. It shows how far Chetelat is out in front of the pack.
Here's some video and more pictures from the CIF State Cross Country Championships at the Woodward Park course. It shows how far Chetelat is out in front of the pack.
Friday, November 23, 2007
NCAA College Cup Live Blog: Cal 2-1 UC Davis
Preamble: And they said UC Davis and Cal would never play football against each other. Of course this probably wasn’t the sort of football they (whoever they are) had it mind. We are here high atop ancient Edwards Stadium, for UC Davis’ first-ever Division I postseason game. It’s fitting, in a way, that it would come against the Bears from Berkeley. This is one of those in-the-family clashes UCD had in mind when it made the move to D-I. I’ve never been in Edwards before. The view from the top row is fabulous, with the Berkeley Hills, clocktower, Haas Pavilion and Bancroft Street visible without any real effort. The stadium itself is cavernous. Cal averaged 474 fans per game.
The Aggies are a fantastic story. In their first season of postseason eligibility, they reached the postseason by finishing second in a strong Big West. They did it with a direct attacking mindset, emphasizing substance over style. UCD head coach Dwayne Shaffer said he didn’t expect to make any changes from that style. Cal is a well-organized team that is difficult to break down. The best case scenario for the Aggies would be to scrape an early goal and then settle in. Easier said than done. The Bears are in their seventh straight postseason and haven’t lost in the first round since 2001.
The way this works is that I will be updating things at the top of the page as the game goes along. So the newest stuff will be up top. This format (although not my wit) is stolen from The Guardian in England, who does this sort of thing for big matches.
Anyway here’s some housekeeping: The winner gets a date on Nov. 28 at 11th-seed Virginia Tech. No. 6 Brown, No. 3 Connecticut and No. 14 Akron are the other seeded teams in this section of the draw. The College Cup will be awarded on Dec. 16 in Cary, N.C. live on ESPN2. The NCAA would also like you to know it has a website, which can be found at ncaa.org.
1:10 p.m. It looks like there will be a pretty solid crowd. I see a lot of people in UC Davis shirts. The Aggies will be in dark blue. The Bears were required to wear white by the NCAA. It's a windy day here in Berkeley, which probably will benefit the team that can keep the ball on ground.
1:15 p.m. They have run out of game programs, which suggests a fairly nice crowd.
1:25 p.m.: The teams have taken the field, and after a slight delay the national anthem starts. The PA announcer reminds everyone for the third time that no artificial noisemakers are allowed. I'd say UCD's fans are louder and more present, although we'll see what happens once the game starts.
1 min: UCD kicks off. They will be playing into the wind in the first half. The first Division I team postseason in school history is under way
2 mins: There's still a long line of people waiting to get in. UCD has tried a couple of attacks down the flanks, but so far haven't really looked dangerous
3 min: Cal gets the first set piece opportunity after a foul about 35 yards from goal. Andrew Jacobson's long serve into the UCD penalty area bounces over the end line.
5 mins: First dangerous chance goes to Cal. Jacobson is sent in on a nifty one-two, but the pass is too strong and he has no angle when he gains possession in the Aggie area. His shot goes wide on the short side.
6 mins: Quincy Amarikwa wins a long serve off a free kick from midfield, but his shot sails wide.
7 mins: Midfielder Ian Conklin saves a goal on the far post on a header after a long throw in. Cal looks the more dangerous team right now.
10 mins: Good end-to-end action here. Dylan Curtis finds some space in the middle of the penalty area, but can't get much on his shot. On the other end, Cal has some possession, before Quincy Amarikwa dispossesses.
12 mins: More danger in the UCD penalty area. A soft forward ball for Javier Ayala-Hil eluded GK Ryan McCowan, but Jake Mogelson was there to clear it. Cal has looked more dangerous going forward
15 mins: Some nifty step over action by Amarikwa creates a chance for Conklin, whose attempt is dealt with by the Bears' back line.
18 mins: UCD continues to try and hoof it forward for Amarikwa, who is doing a good job of holding the ball up against multiple defenders. As I write that. Dylan Curtis steals a lazy pass at midfield and rips off a dangerous run. Sule Anibaba is a second late and can't get to the cross.
20 mins: Great chance for UCD. Paul Cain's long throw is picked up by Amarikwa along the end line. He makes a nifty move to cut around his defender. The Cal GK can't handle the cross and it rolls out to Ahmad Hatfie, whose shot from 20 yards sails high. Still a nice opportunity.
22 mins: Amarikwa wins a corner, which is long, but turns into a shot attempt, by someone I didn't see. Cal's counter attack is ruled offside. The game is seriously picking up.
23 mins: Another corner for UCD. Dylan Curtis' ball reaches Paul Cain at the far post, whose shot is handled well by Stefan Frei. Now's it's Cal hoofing it forward and the Aggie attack is buzzing.
25 mins: Sule Anibaba's name goes into the book after clipping Javier Ayala-Hil about 35 yards from goal. It was a scoring chance, so it makes sense. The free kick goes out for a corner, which is cleared by UCD's Nicholas Lind.
27 mins: Amarikwa wins a long ball to Nicholas Lind, who fired wide. UCD is outshooting Cal 5-2
29 mins: Things have slowed down a bit as the goalkeepers take turns booting long balls down field. Nothing much in terms of build up, but UCD wins its third corner off one of those long plays.
30 mins: And it's a dangerous one as Sule Anibaba meets Dylan Curtis's inswinger with a header that flies over the ball
GOAL 33 mins Andrew Jacobson Cal 1-0 UCD A brilliant strike from about 30 yards on a ball that looked like nothing. The senior midfielder picked out the top corner. It may be against the run of play, but now the Aggies have some work to do.
34 mins: Now the Bears are buzzing. Davis Paul has a dangerous chance and Bears have some extended possession.
35 mins: Jacobson, the goal scorer, goes into the book after clattering into Amarikwa along the sideline. The forward had gone all the way back to end Cal's run of possession. It was a late challenge after the ball had already gone out of bounds. The free kick comes to nothing.
36 mins: A nifty ball springs Cal's leading scorer, Andrew Weideman, down the left side. He dekes his way past one defender and fires a dangerous curling shot over the crossbar.
39 mins: Ahmad Hatfie wins the ball with some nifty work at midfield and Amarikwa wins a corner. It's played short to Hatfie, whose curling ball from 25 yards way is dealt with easily.
41 mins: Amarikwa continues to give the Bears defense fits. He wins a no-hope long ball then turns it into a corner. Then he's there at the far post on the inswinger, but his boot directs the ball over the bar.
43 mins: UCD's best chance of the first half goes begging. Paul Marcoux runs onto a long ball down the left channel and is alone with the keeper. His shot from a tough angle nestles into the side netting on the wrong side of the crossbar.
45 mins: One of those great moments you only see in college soccer. UCD wins a corner with 30 seconds left in the half. The ball has started to bounce away onto the track, but an Aggie tracks it down and boots it into the penalty area before time can expire. The disorder actually briefly looks promising.
Halftime: UCD goes into the half down a goal, but it seemed to me as though it had the better of the play. Cal’s goal was a nice piece of individual skill and the ball seemed to duck in under the crossbar. The Aggies will have the wind at their back in the second half, so it will be interesting to see if that changes things.
46 mins: The teams are back on the field. Cal will kick off going into the wind.
48 mins: UCD wins the ball in Cal's half, and Amarikwa leaves the ball for Lind, who runs onto it from 25 yards and the shot skips wide.
49 mins: Cal's Pat Marion steals the ball on the right wing and starts a dangerous run forward. It ends with the someone (I didn't see who) driving the ball over the UCD goal. But it was a nice chance.
50 mins: Nick Lind sprints through the Cal defense, beating a couple of defenders to win UCD's ninth corner. Wiedeman, back to defend, blocks Matt Slagle's header with his own head. Cal takes possession on the counterattack.
51 mins: Amarikwa continues to inflict trouble on Cal. Coming up the right, his through-pass finds Sule Anibaba a step offside. It appears UCD has moved moved Anibaba into a more forward position.
55 mins: Great save by UCD's McCowan. The Aggies were pushed far forward and Javier Ayala-Hill set up a great counter opportunity for Luke Sassano, alone in the middle of the penalty area. The defender's shot appears ticketed for the far corner, but the McCowan kicked it away for a corner.
58 mins: Both keepers take turns being caught out on long balls. First Cal's Stefen Frei has to punch the ball away from Amarikwa, barreling in on a bouncer. Then McCowan runs 30 yards to prevent Ayala-Hill from controlling a loose ball. UCD is holding the ball more, but Cal looks really dangerous on the counterattack.
62 mins: Cal wins a corner, which goes whizzing dangerously through the penalty area. It falls to Wiedeman, whose curling shot can’t quite tuck inside the far post. The Bears are getting closer, the Aggies appear to have hit a lull at a bad time. UCD coach Dwayne Shaffer sends in four substitutes.
64 mins: Amarikwa tries to answer with a long-range effort of his own, but the low line drive shot is not on target.
66 mins: Amarikwa wins another ball in traffic, but his from 20 yards is handled relatively easily. Cal looks fairly comfortable in defense unless Amarikwa is running at them.
67 mins: Jacobson plays Servando Carrasco into open space on the left side of the UCD penalty area, but McCowan easily handles the crossface shot.
69 mins: Cal brings on Patrick Dolan, bringing our Mohawk count to two (UCD's Sule Anibaba is the other).
72 mins: Paul Marcoux drives another long range shot that forces a diving save from Frei. Then the Aggies create a great chance down the left side, but the header attempt by Chris Leer sails just high. Two great chances, but UCD can't seem to finish.
GOAL UCD Amarikwa 75 Cal 1-1 UCD Amarikwa heads home a really, really long throw in from Paul Cain. The ball came from about 30 yards away and Amarikwa latched onto it from about four yards out and beat Frei. Now we have a game.
76 mins: And Cal nearly answers right away. A series of corner kicks leads to a couple of great opportunities. UCD doesn't look all that steady at the back. It needs to be going forward.
77 mins: The Aggies break out from Cal siege and nearly put themselves up. Paul Marcoux, make a great run down the right side and picks out Amarikwa in the penalty area. His header is caught by Frei. End-to-end stuff.
85 mins: Cal just missed going ahead. Carrasco latches onto a cross and his header just missed high. Then Carrasco hits the crossbar on a great opportunity. UCD is hanging on for dear life.
86 mins: And then the Aggies just miss. Chris Leer runs onto a long ball down the right, creates some space and fires it just wide. Leer is set in again moments later by Amarikwa and the shot goes high.
88 mins: Nice free kick from a dangerous position is lofted in by Jacobson. UCD is there.
90 mins: Cal's last chance comes to nothing and we're headed to overtime.
Overtime: This has been a thrilling second half. Here's the format for extra time, two 10-minute periods with the first goal winning. If it isn't settled then, the match will be decided by a penalty kick shoot out.
91 mins: Cal kicks off to start the first overtime period. UCD will have the wind.
92 mins: Carrasco, who has been Cal's most dangerous offensive player in the second half, is injured attempting to dispossess Amarikwa who is working in the corner. The Aggies will have throw-in in a position of genuine danger about 15 yards from goal line when the game starts again.
92 mins: Cain's long throw is handled by Frei and Cal takes over going forward.
94 mins: Wiedeman takes a long pass, but has too many Aggie defenders to get through and is dispossessed. At the other end, Anibaba wins a free kick for UCD about 40 yards away.
96 mins: For a moment it looks as though Chris Leer had been sent forward down the left side, but Leer's second touch lets him down and Cal is able to take it away.
97 mins: A long ball comes to Amarikwa, who is onside, but he’s knocked over in the penalty area as he tried to get the ball onto his right foot. UCD gives a penalty shout, but it’s not answered. Probably the right decision.
100 mins: The overtime break.
101 mins: Dylan Curtis steals a lazy cross field pass and puts the Aggies on the attack. His pass into the middle is just behind Amarikwa and the threat ends.
102 mins: Jacobson sprints down the right and his shot is directed out.
GOAL Wiedeman 102 mins Cal 2-1 UCD McCowan comes out to try and punch away Luke Sassano's long throw in and doesn't get a good shot on it. It falls to Cal's leading scorer, whose ball meanders between the two Aggies guarding the far post to end the game.
The Aggies are a fantastic story. In their first season of postseason eligibility, they reached the postseason by finishing second in a strong Big West. They did it with a direct attacking mindset, emphasizing substance over style. UCD head coach Dwayne Shaffer said he didn’t expect to make any changes from that style. Cal is a well-organized team that is difficult to break down. The best case scenario for the Aggies would be to scrape an early goal and then settle in. Easier said than done. The Bears are in their seventh straight postseason and haven’t lost in the first round since 2001.
The way this works is that I will be updating things at the top of the page as the game goes along. So the newest stuff will be up top. This format (although not my wit) is stolen from The Guardian in England, who does this sort of thing for big matches.
Anyway here’s some housekeeping: The winner gets a date on Nov. 28 at 11th-seed Virginia Tech. No. 6 Brown, No. 3 Connecticut and No. 14 Akron are the other seeded teams in this section of the draw. The College Cup will be awarded on Dec. 16 in Cary, N.C. live on ESPN2. The NCAA would also like you to know it has a website, which can be found at ncaa.org.
1:10 p.m. It looks like there will be a pretty solid crowd. I see a lot of people in UC Davis shirts. The Aggies will be in dark blue. The Bears were required to wear white by the NCAA. It's a windy day here in Berkeley, which probably will benefit the team that can keep the ball on ground.
1:15 p.m. They have run out of game programs, which suggests a fairly nice crowd.
1:25 p.m.: The teams have taken the field, and after a slight delay the national anthem starts. The PA announcer reminds everyone for the third time that no artificial noisemakers are allowed. I'd say UCD's fans are louder and more present, although we'll see what happens once the game starts.
1 min: UCD kicks off. They will be playing into the wind in the first half. The first Division I team postseason in school history is under way
2 mins: There's still a long line of people waiting to get in. UCD has tried a couple of attacks down the flanks, but so far haven't really looked dangerous
3 min: Cal gets the first set piece opportunity after a foul about 35 yards from goal. Andrew Jacobson's long serve into the UCD penalty area bounces over the end line.
5 mins: First dangerous chance goes to Cal. Jacobson is sent in on a nifty one-two, but the pass is too strong and he has no angle when he gains possession in the Aggie area. His shot goes wide on the short side.
6 mins: Quincy Amarikwa wins a long serve off a free kick from midfield, but his shot sails wide.
7 mins: Midfielder Ian Conklin saves a goal on the far post on a header after a long throw in. Cal looks the more dangerous team right now.
10 mins: Good end-to-end action here. Dylan Curtis finds some space in the middle of the penalty area, but can't get much on his shot. On the other end, Cal has some possession, before Quincy Amarikwa dispossesses.
12 mins: More danger in the UCD penalty area. A soft forward ball for Javier Ayala-Hil eluded GK Ryan McCowan, but Jake Mogelson was there to clear it. Cal has looked more dangerous going forward
15 mins: Some nifty step over action by Amarikwa creates a chance for Conklin, whose attempt is dealt with by the Bears' back line.
18 mins: UCD continues to try and hoof it forward for Amarikwa, who is doing a good job of holding the ball up against multiple defenders. As I write that. Dylan Curtis steals a lazy pass at midfield and rips off a dangerous run. Sule Anibaba is a second late and can't get to the cross.
20 mins: Great chance for UCD. Paul Cain's long throw is picked up by Amarikwa along the end line. He makes a nifty move to cut around his defender. The Cal GK can't handle the cross and it rolls out to Ahmad Hatfie, whose shot from 20 yards sails high. Still a nice opportunity.
22 mins: Amarikwa wins a corner, which is long, but turns into a shot attempt, by someone I didn't see. Cal's counter attack is ruled offside. The game is seriously picking up.
23 mins: Another corner for UCD. Dylan Curtis' ball reaches Paul Cain at the far post, whose shot is handled well by Stefan Frei. Now's it's Cal hoofing it forward and the Aggie attack is buzzing.
25 mins: Sule Anibaba's name goes into the book after clipping Javier Ayala-Hil about 35 yards from goal. It was a scoring chance, so it makes sense. The free kick goes out for a corner, which is cleared by UCD's Nicholas Lind.
27 mins: Amarikwa wins a long ball to Nicholas Lind, who fired wide. UCD is outshooting Cal 5-2
29 mins: Things have slowed down a bit as the goalkeepers take turns booting long balls down field. Nothing much in terms of build up, but UCD wins its third corner off one of those long plays.
30 mins: And it's a dangerous one as Sule Anibaba meets Dylan Curtis's inswinger with a header that flies over the ball
GOAL 33 mins Andrew Jacobson Cal 1-0 UCD A brilliant strike from about 30 yards on a ball that looked like nothing. The senior midfielder picked out the top corner. It may be against the run of play, but now the Aggies have some work to do.
34 mins: Now the Bears are buzzing. Davis Paul has a dangerous chance and Bears have some extended possession.
35 mins: Jacobson, the goal scorer, goes into the book after clattering into Amarikwa along the sideline. The forward had gone all the way back to end Cal's run of possession. It was a late challenge after the ball had already gone out of bounds. The free kick comes to nothing.
36 mins: A nifty ball springs Cal's leading scorer, Andrew Weideman, down the left side. He dekes his way past one defender and fires a dangerous curling shot over the crossbar.
39 mins: Ahmad Hatfie wins the ball with some nifty work at midfield and Amarikwa wins a corner. It's played short to Hatfie, whose curling ball from 25 yards way is dealt with easily.
41 mins: Amarikwa continues to give the Bears defense fits. He wins a no-hope long ball then turns it into a corner. Then he's there at the far post on the inswinger, but his boot directs the ball over the bar.
43 mins: UCD's best chance of the first half goes begging. Paul Marcoux runs onto a long ball down the left channel and is alone with the keeper. His shot from a tough angle nestles into the side netting on the wrong side of the crossbar.
45 mins: One of those great moments you only see in college soccer. UCD wins a corner with 30 seconds left in the half. The ball has started to bounce away onto the track, but an Aggie tracks it down and boots it into the penalty area before time can expire. The disorder actually briefly looks promising.
Halftime: UCD goes into the half down a goal, but it seemed to me as though it had the better of the play. Cal’s goal was a nice piece of individual skill and the ball seemed to duck in under the crossbar. The Aggies will have the wind at their back in the second half, so it will be interesting to see if that changes things.
46 mins: The teams are back on the field. Cal will kick off going into the wind.
48 mins: UCD wins the ball in Cal's half, and Amarikwa leaves the ball for Lind, who runs onto it from 25 yards and the shot skips wide.
49 mins: Cal's Pat Marion steals the ball on the right wing and starts a dangerous run forward. It ends with the someone (I didn't see who) driving the ball over the UCD goal. But it was a nice chance.
50 mins: Nick Lind sprints through the Cal defense, beating a couple of defenders to win UCD's ninth corner. Wiedeman, back to defend, blocks Matt Slagle's header with his own head. Cal takes possession on the counterattack.
51 mins: Amarikwa continues to inflict trouble on Cal. Coming up the right, his through-pass finds Sule Anibaba a step offside. It appears UCD has moved moved Anibaba into a more forward position.
55 mins: Great save by UCD's McCowan. The Aggies were pushed far forward and Javier Ayala-Hill set up a great counter opportunity for Luke Sassano, alone in the middle of the penalty area. The defender's shot appears ticketed for the far corner, but the McCowan kicked it away for a corner.
58 mins: Both keepers take turns being caught out on long balls. First Cal's Stefen Frei has to punch the ball away from Amarikwa, barreling in on a bouncer. Then McCowan runs 30 yards to prevent Ayala-Hill from controlling a loose ball. UCD is holding the ball more, but Cal looks really dangerous on the counterattack.
62 mins: Cal wins a corner, which goes whizzing dangerously through the penalty area. It falls to Wiedeman, whose curling shot can’t quite tuck inside the far post. The Bears are getting closer, the Aggies appear to have hit a lull at a bad time. UCD coach Dwayne Shaffer sends in four substitutes.
64 mins: Amarikwa tries to answer with a long-range effort of his own, but the low line drive shot is not on target.
66 mins: Amarikwa wins another ball in traffic, but his from 20 yards is handled relatively easily. Cal looks fairly comfortable in defense unless Amarikwa is running at them.
67 mins: Jacobson plays Servando Carrasco into open space on the left side of the UCD penalty area, but McCowan easily handles the crossface shot.
69 mins: Cal brings on Patrick Dolan, bringing our Mohawk count to two (UCD's Sule Anibaba is the other).
72 mins: Paul Marcoux drives another long range shot that forces a diving save from Frei. Then the Aggies create a great chance down the left side, but the header attempt by Chris Leer sails just high. Two great chances, but UCD can't seem to finish.
GOAL UCD Amarikwa 75 Cal 1-1 UCD Amarikwa heads home a really, really long throw in from Paul Cain. The ball came from about 30 yards away and Amarikwa latched onto it from about four yards out and beat Frei. Now we have a game.
76 mins: And Cal nearly answers right away. A series of corner kicks leads to a couple of great opportunities. UCD doesn't look all that steady at the back. It needs to be going forward.
77 mins: The Aggies break out from Cal siege and nearly put themselves up. Paul Marcoux, make a great run down the right side and picks out Amarikwa in the penalty area. His header is caught by Frei. End-to-end stuff.
85 mins: Cal just missed going ahead. Carrasco latches onto a cross and his header just missed high. Then Carrasco hits the crossbar on a great opportunity. UCD is hanging on for dear life.
86 mins: And then the Aggies just miss. Chris Leer runs onto a long ball down the right, creates some space and fires it just wide. Leer is set in again moments later by Amarikwa and the shot goes high.
88 mins: Nice free kick from a dangerous position is lofted in by Jacobson. UCD is there.
90 mins: Cal's last chance comes to nothing and we're headed to overtime.
Overtime: This has been a thrilling second half. Here's the format for extra time, two 10-minute periods with the first goal winning. If it isn't settled then, the match will be decided by a penalty kick shoot out.
91 mins: Cal kicks off to start the first overtime period. UCD will have the wind.
92 mins: Carrasco, who has been Cal's most dangerous offensive player in the second half, is injured attempting to dispossess Amarikwa who is working in the corner. The Aggies will have throw-in in a position of genuine danger about 15 yards from goal line when the game starts again.
92 mins: Cain's long throw is handled by Frei and Cal takes over going forward.
94 mins: Wiedeman takes a long pass, but has too many Aggie defenders to get through and is dispossessed. At the other end, Anibaba wins a free kick for UCD about 40 yards away.
96 mins: For a moment it looks as though Chris Leer had been sent forward down the left side, but Leer's second touch lets him down and Cal is able to take it away.
97 mins: A long ball comes to Amarikwa, who is onside, but he’s knocked over in the penalty area as he tried to get the ball onto his right foot. UCD gives a penalty shout, but it’s not answered. Probably the right decision.
100 mins: The overtime break.
101 mins: Dylan Curtis steals a lazy cross field pass and puts the Aggies on the attack. His pass into the middle is just behind Amarikwa and the threat ends.
102 mins: Jacobson sprints down the right and his shot is directed out.
GOAL Wiedeman 102 mins Cal 2-1 UCD McCowan comes out to try and punch away Luke Sassano's long throw in and doesn't get a good shot on it. It falls to Cal's leading scorer, whose ball meanders between the two Aggies guarding the far post to end the game.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Does Satan really love the Lakers?
I received an e-mail this week from someone who manages musician Bhi Bhiman, who will be performing at the G Street Pub on Nov. 30.
One of Bhiman's signature songs is "God is Warriors Fan (Satan Loves the Lakers)" Not sure if that's true but the Warriors have won three in a row and I would guess that Stephen Jackson and God have a bit of an up-and-down relationship.
Anyway, here's his song on youtube if you get bored over the Thanksgiving weekend:
One of Bhiman's signature songs is "God is Warriors Fan (Satan Loves the Lakers)" Not sure if that's true but the Warriors have won three in a row and I would guess that Stephen Jackson and God have a bit of an up-and-down relationship.
Anyway, here's his song on youtube if you get bored over the Thanksgiving weekend:
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Pleasanton-bound
Davis High School found out Sunday it will travel to Pleasanton to take on Amador Valley in the first round of the Northern California State girls volleyball playoffs. Eight Northern California teams advanced to NorCals, which will begin Tuesday.
The Blue Devils (29-10) were seeded eighth and do avoid Homestead of Cupertino (27-10), one of the few teams to beat Nevada Union, the Sac-Joaquin Section finals winner that swept DHS for the second straight year.
Amador Valley (29-4) beat San Ramon Valley in four games for the North Coast Section championship. No statistics were available on maxpreps.com, but it looks like Duke-bound Sophia Dunworth and Katie Gellerman are the team's best players. According to maxpreps, the team finished with a 7-11 record a year ago.
The Blue Devils (29-10) were seeded eighth and do avoid Homestead of Cupertino (27-10), one of the few teams to beat Nevada Union, the Sac-Joaquin Section finals winner that swept DHS for the second straight year.
Amador Valley (29-4) beat San Ramon Valley in four games for the North Coast Section championship. No statistics were available on maxpreps.com, but it looks like Duke-bound Sophia Dunworth and Katie Gellerman are the team's best players. According to maxpreps, the team finished with a 7-11 record a year ago.
Meanwhile, in Indianapolis
The UC Davis men's soccer team beat UC Irvine 2-1 in overtime today to finish up a 12-win campaign and finish second in the Big West. Now the question is whether that's enough to merit a bid to the NCAA Tournament. That question will be answered at 2:30 on Monday when the 48-team field is unveiled.
UPDATE (7:42 AM Monday): The publication Soccer America has UCD as a lock to pick up an at-large bid.
UPDATE (7:42 AM Monday): The publication Soccer America has UCD as a lock to pick up an at-large bid.
A little more on the final drive
As San Diego receivers coach Steve Mooshagian walked into the locker room after Saturday's game, the security guard watching the door told him, "good game." Mooshagian thanked her and then said under his breath, "That makes two I've lost to them like that." Mooshagian spent the previous four years as Sacramento State's head coach. He lost his first Causeway Classic when an undersized quarterback named Jon Barragan led an improbable touchdown drive to steal a victory at Hornet Stadium. This was my first year covering the team. My real memory of that night is standing in front of the Cantina in Davis as a fairly celebratory (and yes, that's a euphemism) Chris Kelly just repeated "Aggie Pride" to me over and over again.
I think there's something about those sorts of crazy sports moments that makes us reach back into our personal history books to try and compare them. Brandon Rice said after the game he felt a little like "Ryan Blaise" after the winning catch. He was referring to the receiver that made the final catch in a win over Stanford in 2005 that some Aggie fans might vaguely remember.
This wasn't Matt Engle's first gamewinning drive. In high school Engle said he and his El Segundo team went 75 yards in 40 seconds to rally past Inglewood. In fact, before he went onto the field for the final drive, he shared a moment with high school and college teammate Jeff Fucci.
"Inglewood?" Engle said he said to Fucci
"Yeah, let's go do it," he said Fucci responded.
And actually, his sister was right there too. She had come down to the front row to deliver a message.
"Inglewood," she called down to him from the stands, "keep the faith."
So it was a nice moment.
Clearly this was a fairly thrilling end to what was not all that great a year. UC Davis looks pretty stocked offensively, but clearly has a number of questions to answer on defense and special teams. We'll get into that in the coming days as we wrap up the season.
I think there's something about those sorts of crazy sports moments that makes us reach back into our personal history books to try and compare them. Brandon Rice said after the game he felt a little like "Ryan Blaise" after the winning catch. He was referring to the receiver that made the final catch in a win over Stanford in 2005 that some Aggie fans might vaguely remember.
This wasn't Matt Engle's first gamewinning drive. In high school Engle said he and his El Segundo team went 75 yards in 40 seconds to rally past Inglewood. In fact, before he went onto the field for the final drive, he shared a moment with high school and college teammate Jeff Fucci.
"Inglewood?" Engle said he said to Fucci
"Yeah, let's go do it," he said Fucci responded.
And actually, his sister was right there too. She had come down to the front row to deliver a message.
"Inglewood," she called down to him from the stands, "keep the faith."
So it was a nice moment.
Clearly this was a fairly thrilling end to what was not all that great a year. UC Davis looks pretty stocked offensively, but clearly has a number of questions to answer on defense and special teams. We'll get into that in the coming days as we wrap up the season.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Ride ends for Devils
ELK GROVE - After one quarter on Friday, it looked like the Davis High School football team had a formula for a playoff upset. The Blue Devils led Pleasant Grove 14-0 and had all of the momentum.
But a big second quarter by the home team turned that momentum right back and the Eagles went on to win 28-14 in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Section Playoffs at Sheldon High.
DHS (7-4) recovered a fumble by Deonte Williams in the first quarter and Jake Lubisch scored from two yards out for the first touchdown. Mauricio Davidson caught a 19-yard touchdown from Scott Malinoff to make it 14-0 with 55 seconds left in the period.
But Pleasant Grove quarterback Taylor Congdon threw for two touchdowns and ran in another in the second quarter to help his team take a 21-14 lead at halftime. Greg Williams ran in the final score in the fourth quarter.
Malinoff finished 18-for-30 for 242 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Davidson caught nine balls for 137 yards. Lubisch was held to 18 yards on the ground.
Williams, nicknamed "Bling," led Pleasant Grove with 153 yards rushing and 75 yards receiving, including an electric 72-yard touchdown on third down in the second quarter. That was one of the plays of the game. By the way, the Eagles' USC-bound, two-way lineman Armond Armstead was as good as advertised, flattening players and even lining up as a blocking back on his team's scoring drive in the final quarter.
The Blue Devils, making their first playoff appearance since 1995, picked up 51 yards of penalties and they seem to come at the worst times.
For more on the game, check out Sunday's Enterprise.
- Chris Saur
But a big second quarter by the home team turned that momentum right back and the Eagles went on to win 28-14 in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Section Playoffs at Sheldon High.
DHS (7-4) recovered a fumble by Deonte Williams in the first quarter and Jake Lubisch scored from two yards out for the first touchdown. Mauricio Davidson caught a 19-yard touchdown from Scott Malinoff to make it 14-0 with 55 seconds left in the period.
But Pleasant Grove quarterback Taylor Congdon threw for two touchdowns and ran in another in the second quarter to help his team take a 21-14 lead at halftime. Greg Williams ran in the final score in the fourth quarter.
Malinoff finished 18-for-30 for 242 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Davidson caught nine balls for 137 yards. Lubisch was held to 18 yards on the ground.
Williams, nicknamed "Bling," led Pleasant Grove with 153 yards rushing and 75 yards receiving, including an electric 72-yard touchdown on third down in the second quarter. That was one of the plays of the game. By the way, the Eagles' USC-bound, two-way lineman Armond Armstead was as good as advertised, flattening players and even lining up as a blocking back on his team's scoring drive in the final quarter.
The Blue Devils, making their first playoff appearance since 1995, picked up 51 yards of penalties and they seem to come at the worst times.
For more on the game, check out Sunday's Enterprise.
- Chris Saur
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Web news
I wanted to give you guys an update on some changes that are afoot at The Davis Enterprise.
On Thursday, we'll be debuting the new davisenterprise.com. The site has been done completely in-house and gives us the capability to do a lot things we couldn't do before. For now there will be extra photos from sporting events as well as some audio added to the site that wasn't there before. We want to do a podcast, although we're still working out the technical capabilities with that. Another big difference from a reader standpoint is that every story will be posted on this website. That wasn't the case in the past. You were mostly getting one sports story per day and sometimes not even that.
I'm also going to tell you this now, so no one is caught by surprise down the road: This new site will be free for six weeks and then go to a paid model on Jan. 1. I know that people who live in Davis will get access to the entire website with their print subscriptions. And I know people outside of Davis will be able to purchase access to the website for a cost that has not been shared with me yet.
I'm curious to hear what features you would like to see in the sports section of the website. Feel free to e-mail me at mmirer@davisenterprise.net.
On Thursday, we'll be debuting the new davisenterprise.com. The site has been done completely in-house and gives us the capability to do a lot things we couldn't do before. For now there will be extra photos from sporting events as well as some audio added to the site that wasn't there before. We want to do a podcast, although we're still working out the technical capabilities with that. Another big difference from a reader standpoint is that every story will be posted on this website. That wasn't the case in the past. You were mostly getting one sports story per day and sometimes not even that.
I'm also going to tell you this now, so no one is caught by surprise down the road: This new site will be free for six weeks and then go to a paid model on Jan. 1. I know that people who live in Davis will get access to the entire website with their print subscriptions. And I know people outside of Davis will be able to purchase access to the website for a cost that has not been shared with me yet.
I'm curious to hear what features you would like to see in the sports section of the website. Feel free to e-mail me at mmirer@davisenterprise.net.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Devils at max
Davis High School athletic director Patrick Donlon brought this to our attention today:
With the varsity football team defeating Laguna Creek 17-7 on Friday, Davis High School has qualified 14 teams for the Sac-Joaquin Section Playoffs.
This is the maximum number of teams possible for section competion.
Of particular note is the DHS cross country team, with approximately 150
athletes. The Blue Devils qualified seven teams for the section finals on Saturday, the maximum possible.
With the varsity football team defeating Laguna Creek 17-7 on Friday, Davis High School has qualified 14 teams for the Sac-Joaquin Section Playoffs.
This is the maximum number of teams possible for section competion.
Of particular note is the DHS cross country team, with approximately 150
athletes. The Blue Devils qualified seven teams for the section finals on Saturday, the maximum possible.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Drought is over
ELK GROVE - The cover of this year's Enterprise football preview section featured the theme of playoffs, both for UC Davis and Davis High. The Aggies will not only not make the postseason but their 37-year winning streak has come to an end.
The Blue Devils, however, will head back to the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons after beating Laguna Creek 17-7 in the final regular season game of the year. To put that in perspective, many of the players on this year's team were 4 and 5 years old when the 1995 team advanced.
DHS clinched the win with 6 minutes, 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter when quarterback Scott Malinoff found tight end Tanner Mohr wide open for a 16-yard touchdown.
DHS' defense held up several times, even though the Cardinals had good field position throughout much of the second half.
Quarterback Scott Malinoff was very solid, completing eight of 11 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns against a tough Laguna defense. Malinoff's other touchdown was a seven-yarder to Cody Keefer in the second quarter. Kicker Andrew Smith kicked a 25-yard field goal for the other three points.
DHS ran the ball well with Jake Lubisch finishing with 117 yards and Eric Stenson adding 74. Laguna back Keenan Williams ran for 103 yards. The Cardinals, however, were continually hurt by penalties, getting flagged 14 times for 130 yards.
The Blue Devils will travel to Sheldon High to take on Pleasant Grove (9-1) next week for the first round of the playoffs.
For more on the game, check out Sunday's Enterprise.
The Blue Devils, however, will head back to the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons after beating Laguna Creek 17-7 in the final regular season game of the year. To put that in perspective, many of the players on this year's team were 4 and 5 years old when the 1995 team advanced.
DHS clinched the win with 6 minutes, 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter when quarterback Scott Malinoff found tight end Tanner Mohr wide open for a 16-yard touchdown.
DHS' defense held up several times, even though the Cardinals had good field position throughout much of the second half.
Quarterback Scott Malinoff was very solid, completing eight of 11 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns against a tough Laguna defense. Malinoff's other touchdown was a seven-yarder to Cody Keefer in the second quarter. Kicker Andrew Smith kicked a 25-yard field goal for the other three points.
DHS ran the ball well with Jake Lubisch finishing with 117 yards and Eric Stenson adding 74. Laguna back Keenan Williams ran for 103 yards. The Cardinals, however, were continually hurt by penalties, getting flagged 14 times for 130 yards.
The Blue Devils will travel to Sheldon High to take on Pleasant Grove (9-1) next week for the first round of the playoffs.
For more on the game, check out Sunday's Enterprise.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Could it have been them?
Gardner-Webb's upset of Kentucky is all the news today, as it should be.
It's worth noting that UC Davis was in the running for the spot G-W occupied in the 2k Sports College Hoops Classic. Aggie head coach Gary Stewart wanted to open the full Division I era in the same state in which UCD had won its D-II championship. There might have been some nice symmetry there. As the winds shifted with the Gazelle Group -- which organizes most of the big-time preseason events -- the Aggies started to look more like a candidate for the Connecticut bracket. With a swing through the Ivy League planned for early December, Stewart decided the Legends Classic was a better deal for his young team, in that it allowed them both play in a big-time atmosphere like Texas and get two exempt home games early in the season.
Clearly the Wildcats were ripe for an upset. Could UCD have done it? It's hard to say. Everyone I've talked to is really optimistic, although it's easy to be positive when you haven't lost a game yet. The season starts Sunday afternoon against LaVerne.
It's worth noting that UC Davis was in the running for the spot G-W occupied in the 2k Sports College Hoops Classic. Aggie head coach Gary Stewart wanted to open the full Division I era in the same state in which UCD had won its D-II championship. There might have been some nice symmetry there. As the winds shifted with the Gazelle Group -- which organizes most of the big-time preseason events -- the Aggies started to look more like a candidate for the Connecticut bracket. With a swing through the Ivy League planned for early December, Stewart decided the Legends Classic was a better deal for his young team, in that it allowed them both play in a big-time atmosphere like Texas and get two exempt home games early in the season.
Clearly the Wildcats were ripe for an upset. Could UCD have done it? It's hard to say. Everyone I've talked to is really optimistic, although it's easy to be positive when you haven't lost a game yet. The season starts Sunday afternoon against LaVerne.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Nothing Miner about this one
GRASS VALLEY - The Davis High School football team inched closer to its first playoff appearance in 11 years on Friday by outlasting Nevada Union 47-46 in overtime. There were many heroes in this one, but the last one was Sean Richards, who stuffed Nevada Union's Corey Browning on the final two-point conversion try of the night.
The Blue Devils led 40-24 with 8 minutes, 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter before the Miners scored twice, converting on two two-point conversions in the process.
In overtime, each team got a crack from the 10-yard line. DHS quarterback Scott Malinoff connected with Cody Keefer on a 6-yard touchdown and the ensuing PAT put the Blue Devils up 47-40. Nevada Union scored as well as Browning ran it in from seven yards out. The Miners went to Browning again for the conversion and the win, but Richards gave DHS the final stop it needed.
DHS running back Jake Lubisch carried 22 times for 128 yards and three scores, and Malinoff threw for 193 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Darian Hutson had 88 yards receiving and two TDs.
The Blue Devils must beat Laguna Creek next week to snap the playoff drought. Franklin beat Laguna 12-9 and Elk Grove blew out Valley 55-7 in other league action on Friday.
For more on the game, check out Sunday's Enterprise.
Here's how the other area teams fared: Woodland beat up Natomas 40-0 to clinch a playoff berth, and Pioneer kept its playoff hopes alive with a 23-0 rout of River Valley. Dixon was overwhelmed by Foothill 46-22 and Winters was blown out by Wheatland 49-0.
- Chris Saur
The Blue Devils led 40-24 with 8 minutes, 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter before the Miners scored twice, converting on two two-point conversions in the process.
In overtime, each team got a crack from the 10-yard line. DHS quarterback Scott Malinoff connected with Cody Keefer on a 6-yard touchdown and the ensuing PAT put the Blue Devils up 47-40. Nevada Union scored as well as Browning ran it in from seven yards out. The Miners went to Browning again for the conversion and the win, but Richards gave DHS the final stop it needed.
DHS running back Jake Lubisch carried 22 times for 128 yards and three scores, and Malinoff threw for 193 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Darian Hutson had 88 yards receiving and two TDs.
The Blue Devils must beat Laguna Creek next week to snap the playoff drought. Franklin beat Laguna 12-9 and Elk Grove blew out Valley 55-7 in other league action on Friday.
For more on the game, check out Sunday's Enterprise.
Here's how the other area teams fared: Woodland beat up Natomas 40-0 to clinch a playoff berth, and Pioneer kept its playoff hopes alive with a 23-0 rout of River Valley. Dixon was overwhelmed by Foothill 46-22 and Winters was blown out by Wheatland 49-0.
- Chris Saur
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Good seeding
The Davis High School girls volleyball team earned a No. 3 seed on Thursday for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs. That's a good thing for the Blue Devils since top-ranked Nevada Union is on the other side of the bracket and the two wouldn't have to meet until the finals.
The Blue Devils, who did not lose a game or a match in Delta Valley Conference play, will host No. 14 Downey on Tuesday in the first round. If DHS wins, it would get another home match on Nov. 8.
The section finals are at The Pavilion at 8 p.m. on Nov. 15.
The Blue Devils, who did not lose a game or a match in Delta Valley Conference play, will host No. 14 Downey on Tuesday in the first round. If DHS wins, it would get another home match on Nov. 8.
The section finals are at The Pavilion at 8 p.m. on Nov. 15.
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